Rashda Khan/Special to the Standard-Times La Azteca tacos dressed with toppings from the salsa bar stand ready to be eaten in front of a chile relleno plate at one of the grocery store’s tables.

SAN ANGELO, Texas - What: La Azteca Meat Market

Where: 2028 N Bryant Blvd.

Contact: 325-655-7651

Walking into La Azteca Meat Market in San Angelo is an experience. You're greeted by cheerful music, colorful folk art furniture and the mouthwatering scent of cooked spices. You walk in from a hot West Texas parking lot into an authentic Mexican Mercado.

"The smell of the kitchen, the smell of the bread from the bakery, the music, it all transports you," said Salvador Gomez, the manager of the San Angelo La Azteca. "We try to make our customers feel like they found a little piece of Mexico."

The San Angelo store is one of eight and part of a Dallas-area chain owned by Fred Ortega. Two more stores are in the plans and should be open by the end of the year. "The owner was in San Angelo and realized there was no store like this here," Gomez said. "So he opened this location about six years ago."

Ruben Martinez, an artist, Realtor and contractor who lives in the Lake View area, has been patronizing La Azteca since it opened its doors. "I'm Hispanic and I like Hispanic food. This store offered more traditional foods and a wider selection," he said. "The first time I went in, I liked it."

Like Martinez, it was love at first visit for me. I enjoy exploring the store because they have produce and products I can't find most other places, like juices and popsicles in flavors like guava, mango and pineapple, dried hibiscus flowers for tea, fish bouillon, plantains and tamarind along with more mainstream fare.

Jason Parks, also known locally as Chef Lupe Boudreaux, likes to shop at La Azteca for authentic Mexican ingredients. "This is the best place in town to buy your poblanos and other chilies," he said. "They also have a better variety of jicamas and good Mexican mangoes."

"I love the vibe of the place," he said. "You hear the music, smell the good food and listen to all the people talking fast." He said walking down the aisles is like taking a tour of Mexico from a culinary standpoint. You see the tortilla presses, mortar and pestle sets and pottery. Among the spices you'll see Mexican vanilla and dried shrimp. Colorful piñatas of all shapes and sizes add to the festive atmosphere.

The meat market is reminiscent of rustic old-world meat markets found in South and Central America, Asia and Europe, which offer all the parts of a butchered animal. La Azteca customers can choose from whole fish to chicken feet, marinated chicken quarters to more niche specialties like tripe, heart or tongue.

"My wife makes menudo, and they have all the ingredients to make a good menudo," Martinez said. "I also barbecue a lot and they have good cuts for that as well."

My top find is the stew meat with bones. In Bangladesh, we always cooked our curries with meat and bones. Cooking with bones adds a depth of flavor to your stews and curries that you just can't get with only meat.

But my favorite part is the bakery and deli area. While the colorful pastries and breads in the bakery cases will tempt you, first head to the deli counter. This is where the enticing cooking aromas originate. The case holds various offerings and you can mix and match. The ladies behind the case are happy to answer questions and guide you on your food adventure.

"Everything is made fresh. The color and flavor comes from natural ingredients like guajillo chilies," Gomez said. "Nothing is pre-made or prepackaged." He said the deli staff focuses on staying true to authentic Mexican recipes. "We want the food to taste like those made by our mothers and grandmothers."

The offerings include everything from barbacoa to carnitas, to chiccharones to caldo. Vegetarian options include beans, but also calbacita con nopalitos (squash cooked with strips of prickly pear cactus), rajas (poblano peppers cooked in a sauce) and more. While you can get full plate meals — rice, beans and your choice of cooked food, I prefer the tacos option because I can enjoy a variety on one plate.

After you get your plate, stop by the salsa bar. There are different types of salsas and salads, fresh flavorings like cilantro, lime and lemon wedges, onions, cabbage, pico de gallo and jalapenos. "We try to have things that complement your food and you can add what you want according to your taste," Gomez said. "We try to put out different things every day to keep it new and interesting."

The store's strategy is working. Several customers stop in at lunchtime to grab a quick, tasty meal at the deli.

Ray Zapata, owner of Mejor Que Nada Events Center and who has had a 30-year career in the restaurant business, is a regular customer. "I don't eat out a lot," he said, "But La Azteca is the only place I go out to eat."

He and his mother recently stopped for lunch after church and helped me discover some new items to try. "The food is fresh and simple," Zapata said. "They serve basic traditional foods from all across Mexico, not just any one region."

Another regular customer is Carl White, with San Angelo's Parks and Recreation department. "I discovered it because it's right by one of our parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park," he said. "Now I stop by a couple of times a month."

"It's kind of like an old department store with a lunch counter," he said. "You walk in and smell the food." He usually grabs a quick lunch and then picks up some treats for the office.

White also appreciates the good value offered and has brought in his family for meals a few times after church. "There's a lot of good food for a reasonable price. They sell by the pound or in bulk, so you can eat family style," he said. "I was able to feed my family of six for about $30."

Rashda Khan is a San Angelo-based food enthusiast, writer and culinary instructor. She moderates the Facebook group San Angelo Eat Local. Originally from Bangladesh, she is now a proud West Texan. She can be reached at rkhan@wcc.net or 325-656-2824.